Meanderings of a Mom, Kidney patient, woman.

Posts Tagged ‘weight lifting’

Today was just an ordinary day at the gym. Well sorta. In the middle of doing my rounds, Andrew asked me if my PR was 120? Then he remembered my last PR was 185 and asked if the weight was too light. I said something more or less along the following lines: “yes, you can definitely put more weight on or we need to increase reps or something as they aren’t challenging”. Well that is what I eventually got out as I was doing burpees at the time. So on another 20 lbs goes! So another set or two and i realized that I was having no issues at all doing a deadlift with 120 lbs. While that is probably nothing to most people who deadlift, this was my PR 2 months ago. I was like… I am deadlifting my personal record 2 months ago without any issues what so ever. I mean it is a great feeling to add more weight on to any bar and successfully lift it. But when your PR becomes part of your normal lifting routine and it was I dare say EASY: that is just a great feeling. And believe it or not, burpees are becoming less challenging as well. I need to keep working on doing pushups here at the house to help continue to master pushups. They are looking and feeling better! And I dreaded the dumbbell swings as well. And even though they were hard, it was all manageable! I had a great time at the gym today.

Sorry for not posting lately. I got the flu, a kidney infection, and pneumonia. I stayed out of the hospital and only missed 2 training sessions. Yippee! I still have been going to the gym. I think I was training 3x a week before I stopped posting, but I have had a shift in my work schedule that allows me to go the gym at the minimum of 5x a week and up to 7 days a week. Last week I made it all 7 days! Go me! I am still living too. So before we get to the post that has been stuck in my head for freaking days, lets get to the positive news! Saturday, I front squatted 100 lbs!!!! ROCK ON! is all I have to say. We started with just the 45 lb bar. I did 10 reps… Did other misc things, came back to the bar, and added 5 lbs to it. So it was 50 lbs. Did 3 reps and moved on. At some point we started moving up by 10 lbs. Don’t ask me when, as I don’t count weight when I am training… That is Andrew’s job! =) At some point, we stopped doing all the other misc stuff, and went to only squatting. I only did one rep and then sat down. increased weight and did another rep! I got to 100 lbs! Anyway, no one else might think it is awesome, but I do!

So, Andrew and Erin have both been encouraging me to run. I hate running. One reason, I am horrible at it and I feel horrible after I run. Did I mention I hate running? Anyway, I was doing intervals on the treadmill trying to increase speed and was listening to the words to some music. Well I am a person that if I don’t know that I can do something successfully, then I normally don’t do it. I like staying in my little bubble. Fear is a powerful thing. It can keep you from doing stupid things. And then it can paralyze you. And that is where I have been. Fearful I won’t be able to complete a mud run. I have never been athletic. Even with the aforementioned squat PR, I don’t consider myself athletic. Yes, I go to the gym. Yes, I complete what ever Andrew asks of me. But doing these runs, just has had me paralyzed that I was unable to complete them. If I cannot complete it, then there is no reason to try.

But you know, there is a reason to try. Who cares if I cannot complete the run. I at least attempted it. There has to be something about that. And what am I teaching my kids. Stay in your comfort zone. It is nice and easy there. So the words that were in the music that made me change my mind was: “And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance; I hope you dance!”

So I have told Andrew I would do a Mud Run. We will start small and go from there! Apparently there is a 5k at the end of March. So we shall see what happens.

Woohoo! I got to overhead press the varsity bar! And other than adjusting to the weight the first time, it went really well. At the end of my 2 sets, we had time to do 3 more things, and I choose to press as one of them! So this was really like death by 10’s.

2 sets:

10 box jumps

10 pull ups

10 kettlebell swings

10 toe touch situps

10 overhead press (with 45 lb bar!!!!)

10 lunges

10 Mountain Climber

10 burpee’s

10 jumprope (suppose to be double unders…)

10 wall balls with 10 lb ball

Double Unders… the first set I just did 10 regular jump roping and then tried to do a double under… With some practice, I got 1 completed. Fell on my rump.. but completed it. 2nd set, I did 1 double under and stopped… then started again and completed 4 double unders. then it all came apart and I couldn’t quite get any more! But woohoo, it has been since Elementary school since I did any of those! So go me!

Other than being really sore atm, it was totally awesome! I am so freaking ecstatic that I actually used the varsity bar and that it wasn’t difficult. I am almost afraid to mention that E word! =) I also never used a kettlebell either. So that was pretty awesome too… I don’t remember what the weight was.

Burpees suck. I need more practice with those. Pullups were okay.

I walked easy for 20 minutes before training. My legs were really tight. Afterwards, I did intervals on the treadmill for 20 minutes.

I have the most awesome trainer and friend! They are truly good for my spirit! Between the 2 of them, they manage to support not only getting through a workout, but also through those times when you wonder if it is all worth it! Well, Andrew has been telling me that I have lost weight. Erin has been telling me the same thing. As has a ton of other people. Do I believe them… No. Why? Because the clothes I wear every day, fit the same way they did a year ago. I have a hard time seeing improvements in myself. Always has been an issue. Partly the reason why I started blogging about what I am doing at the gym. So I can physically see progress. Just go read the blog 3 weeks ago… =) Anyway, Erin gave me some jeans that don’t fit her any more! Which is enough to party about on its own. I was SO skeptical I was even going to be able to get a leg in them, never mind actually zip them up. You see, I have been to the stupid stores looking for pants to fit, and nothing seems to. So I just gave up and kept wearing the same stuff I have been. I hate clothes shopping in the first place. Well I went and picked them up and tried them on!!! They are a bit tight on me, but they fit!!!!! Like OMG, they fit! I was so shocked. They are 14’s! I was wearing an 18 if anyone cares to know. I don’t care who knows! I mean like really! A 14? Are you kidding me?

Merry Christmas to me!!!!

So today’s training kicked ass! I mean it was really awesome. Well at least that is how I feel atm. We worked on making things a bit harder which is always a good thing. And even though it was tough, I got through it. The elliptical is not my friend. OMG… I think I would rather row than do the elliptical. Yikes.

I did 4 sets today. I kept moving between them other when Andrew had to show up one the other guys at the gym! And he did! Way to Go Andrew!!!!

So the pull-ups, I have to remember a few things. Hands wider. Like on the outside of my shoulders. Elbows need to go up.. not out. Chin needs to stay on the right side of the bar. Yikes!!! The first set was easy… they progressively got harder. The last one I had to fight hard to get.

sumo squat thingies. They were overly difficult today.

over head lift thingies: These weren’t easy today. Toward the end I wondered if I was even going to complete them. But I did.. Mind over matter. But they were tough. 10-14 were anyway.

Butterfly situps… I normally like these. They are fairly easy to do now… Did you see that E word… yeah means we need to make modifications! ha! So before I was doing the situps with my hands over my head and the momentum of bringing your arms up over head as you sit up really HELPS alot to do your situp! Well, I graduated from that, to crossing your arms over your chest. Holy Sweet Baby Jesus! They went from rather mind-numbingly easy, to struggling. This is a good thing!

So Cardio: I hate cardio. I struggle with it.

Well it was suggested that I do the elliptical today. We are not friends. Frequent stops occurred. My thighs burned. Goodness gracious. Yeah… that sucked… But I am not going to let it ruin my attitude! I am really feeling great. Which is unusually after training. I normally just want to crawl back in bed and forget the world exists for 3 hours or so. But not today!

Yes, that is how I am moving between exercises today. I couldn’t catch my breathe but I just pushed through it. Well tried. I have a head cold and didn’t feel 100% but I gave a 100%.

500 meters on the row machine

15 overhead squats with 15 lb bar no additional weight.

18 grasshoppers

I managed to get 3 sets in 30 minutes. The first set on the row machine ROCKED!!!! My snatches looked good. squats I need to stay in my heals. 2nd set was much better than any of the others. Grasshoppers. don’t know about them. At the end of today, i was shaking. But it appears my work schedule might be changing a bit. And if this happens I will be able to get more gym time in!!! Yippee! How cool is that. Yes, I am fairly excited about that new prospect. We used the sissy bar today. However, we don’t do overhead squats regularly so we will have to work up to more weight.

Yeah! Almost to that triple digit number! I don’t know why that seems awesome, but it does. So today wasn’t easy, and I did 4 sets. But I felt good. Andrew helped me fix what ever the issue was on the bike that was hurting my knee! So yippee on that.

20 meter Bear walks with 20 lb dumbbells (40 lbs total)

12 -> 45 lb front squats

6 -> 90 lb deadlifts

24 -> butterfly situps

Bear walks felt really good. Last time they made me sick. I have to remember to keep my head looking up in front of me. When I looked down at the weights, things got so no nice. Front Squats: On rep 10, it was always ugly. I struggled to push through that one. and seemed to recover and do the last 2 with less effort. Deadlifts… Wow! I have to mentally remember to keep my arms straight and not jerk the bar up to start. Last set of those looked and felt the best. Situps… I was off on these today. They were not easy.

I really need to carve out some time to do pushups, pull ups (Maybe?), situps, burpees, at home on the days I am not at the gym.